Cougars 1, Peoria 6—Ouch! Our Guys Lose 12 of Last 14 Games

This is getting old, very fast. The Cougars have now lost 12 out of their last 14 games, and are 9-21 on the season. The offense just isn't producing, as they are scoring less than three runs per game. While the pitching has been great.

Tonight it was more of the same, the Cougars would lose 6-1 in the first game of the series in Peoria. The Cougars got out to a 1-0 lead, but it again lasted half an inning. It was one bad inning, and then the game just got away. Three errors also didn't help much after commiting five of them yesterday.

Robert Penny started for the Cougars and lasted five innings again. He would give up six hits and four runs. Three of the runs would be earned, as an error in the first wouldn't help things. Nick Wooley came in and pitched well. Mistakes by the defense and himself would cost him as he would get tagged with two runs.

Kane County started off the scoring in the top of the first, and we thought the offense would be off and running. Alex Llanos led off the game with a double to left center. Gerard Hall moved him over with a bunt. One out later, Brian Fletcher sailed one into right. The right fielder dove and had the ball go in an out of his glove, Llanos would score on the play. The Cougars actually could've scored a couple more runs in the inning. Brian Fletcher would try to advance on a ball that got away from the catcher, he would be caught trying to get to second. The throw by the catcher would hit him and roll away. Fletcher would be safe at second. Ryan Jenkins then walked, which put runners on first and second with two outs. Lane Adams hit into a force out at second to end the inning.

Well, after that good inning, the pitching and defense caught up to the Cougars. Peoria scored three times and never looked back after the first inning. With one out, Pierre LePage doubled down the right field line. One out later, Richard Jones tied the game with a single to right center. Elliott Soto then reached on a bunt single towards the mound. Sergio Burruel would single to right to score Jones. The throw from Geulin Beltre was wild, on the error Soto would score. Penny did get out of the inning without further damage with a strike out.

In the fourth inning the Chiefs would once again get to Penny. With one out, Burruel walked. Arismendy Alcantara then reached on a force out of Burruel at second. Alcantara stole second and would come home on a triple to center by D.J. Fitzgerald. Again, Penny got out of the inning with out any more trouble, this time getting a pop up to the catcher.

Wooley would come in for the sixth inning and imediatly get into trouble. Jones greated him with a single to center, he would get to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Alcantara hit a fly to left. Lane Adams missed the ball on a fly, for an error that would allow Jones to score.

The final run for the Chiefs came in the seventh inning off of Wooley. Anthony Giansanti led off by being hit by a pitch, and getting to second on a wild pitch. Two outs later, Rubi Silva doubled down the left field line to score Giansanti.

Kane County's offense wasn't totally quiet after the first inning run, they had a few chances. In the third inning with one out, Hall and Ryan Stovall both singled. That would be followed by a force out and a fly out to end the inning. In the fifth inning, Michael Liberto led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Two force outs and a line out later the inning would be over. A double play would erase a one out single by Ryan Jenkins in the sixth.

In the seventh, Beltre doubled to left center with one out but would be stranded at second. The Cougars best chance to score came in the ninth inning off of the Chiefs closer Yohan Gonzalez. He would walk the bases loaded with nobody out. Nobody out and the bases loaded, you would think the Cougars could chip away at the lead a little. Well, Beltre popped out, infield fly rule. Liberto then hit into a game ending double play.

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